Patent GB-683044-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to accumulating mechanisms for record card controlled accounting machines
Filed: 1950-11-13
Abstract: 683,044. Statistical apparatus. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Nov. 13, 1950 [Nov. 25, 1949], No. 27657/50. Class 106 (i). In order to achieve greater speed of entry into an accululator in a record card controlled statistical machine the machine comprises means for sensing cards in succession, accumulator means including a plurality of denominationally ordered accumulator elements, carry means operatively connecting said elements, means for entering into the elements a component part of sensed digits, electron tube controlled storage means associated with each element, and means for entering in each storage means the remainder component of the sensed digits, the component and remainder being derived by dividing the digits by a common base divisor. The accumulator comprises a plurality of known elements of the type shown in Fig. 1 which are controlled by a start magnet AM and a stop magnet SM in usual manner as described in Specification 558,566 whenever a perforation in a record card is sensed. Means are provided for carrying from one denomination to the next in known manner. The circuit diagram shown in Figs. 2 and 2a shows three denominational orders with the specific circuit arrangement of each order being similar to the tens order which is shown in detail. During the interval that the 9 perforation is being sensed in the tens column, contacts CB<SP>1</SP> close to complete a circuit from the high side 2 of the main power supply to the low side 3 of the bias power supply system. The completed circuit may be traced from line 2 through line 5 contacts CB<SP>1</SP>, connecting line 6, the usual card lever contact 31 (Fig. 2), the conductive roll 7 through the perforation 9 to the brush 9 and the connecting plug wire 26 (Fig. 2a) through the normally closed carry relay point C<SP>1</SP>a, the selenium rectifier S<SP>1</SP>, the resistor R<SP>10</SP> and capacitor C<SP>1</SP> to the line 3. At the relay point C<SP>1</SP>a a second circuit is completed through the normally closed carry relay point C<SP>1</SP>c, the rectifier S2, the normally closed relay point R<SP>1</SP>a, the resistor R4 and the capacitor C<SP>2</SP> to the line 3. The selenium rectifiers S<SP>1</SP> and S2 are used in the grid feed lines of the gas tubes T<SP>3</SP> and T<SP>1</SP>, respectively, for the purpose of preventing back circuits from one tube to another when the respective brush circuits are opened. The capacitors are charged as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby driving the respective control guide of the normally non-conductive gas tubes T<SP>3</SP> and T<SP>1</SP> above normal firing point. Neither tube fires, however, until the screen grid is made positive also, which occurs only when their respective cam contacts CB<SP>2</SP>, CB<SP>4</SP> are closed. By proper selection of the magnitudes of the capacitors C<SP>1</SP> and C<SP>2</SP> and of the respective resistors R<SP>20</SP> and R<SP>5</SP> associated therewith the grids of the non-conductive tubes T<SP>3</SP> and T<SP>1</SP> are maintained above the respective firing points until " 8 " time as shown in Fig. 3. When T<SP>1</SP> becomes conductive, the plate current operates relay coil R<SP>1</SP> to change over contacts R<SP>1</SP>a and R<SP>1</SP>c while contact R<SP>1</SP>b is closed. At " 8 " time the contacts CB<SP>4</SP> open, but the tube T<SP>1</SP> continues to conduct in characteristic manner since the grids do not control the tube once it has fired. At " 8 " time the contacts CB<SP>2</SP> also close, thereby energizing the screened grid of T<SP>3</SP> which fires and actuates the accumulator add coil AM which is in its plate circuit. The adding wheel will be advanced in known manner to the intermediate portion of the " 1 " cycle point where it is stopped due to an impulse being applied to the accumulator stop magnet SM upon the closing of the cam-controlled contacts CB<SP>3</SP> at " 0 " index time, as shown in Fig. 3. At the closing of contacts CB3 the circuit whereby the stop magnet SM is energized may be traced from line 2 to line 5, the magnet SM, the now closed contact CB<SP>3</SP> and line 3. Thus at this stage the parent number 9 has been split into two components, where one component is registered in the accumulator wheel 16 and which component is the largest multiple of the common divisor, which is 2, while the other component constitutes the remainder of the parent number and is stored in the relay coil R<SP>1</SP>. This remainder is transferred to the accumulator together with any further number sensed in the next cycle at carry time. Specification 483,021 also is referred to.